Cultural sensitivity and awareness are key to creating fully localized, compelling content for new audiences. It’s an understanding of and respect for diverse cultures, recognition of language differences, and insight into local traditions and beliefs.
How Cultural Sensitivity Can Become a Challenge
Cultural competence is not a skill that can be developed and mastered within a matter of days. It takes knowledge and willingness to recognize and embrace intercultural sensitivity, especially from one’s perspective of dominant culture toward minority groups. A few challenges may arise if a business expands its reach to other countries and locales.
For example, consider a multinational pharmaceutical company that recently ventured into clinical trials in a conservative Middle Eastern country. The company’s original patient information materials—designed for a Western audience—featured casual imagery and colloquial language intended to make the content engaging. However, in the new market, these same materials clashed with local cultural norms that value formality, modesty, and respectful communication in healthcare settings. Images that were meant to be friendly were perceived as too informal, and the language used to describe medical procedures failed to convey the necessary gravitas, leading to confusion among potential trial participants and raising concerns with local regulators. This scenario highlights the critical need to adapt not only the language but also the visuals and tone of content to align with local expectations, ensuring that every element resonates appropriately with minority groups and diverse cultural contexts.
How to Ensure Cultural Sensitivity in Localization
Localization should be deemed an integral part of any global expansion strategy. Cultural differences, traditions, and norms should be extensively studied, understood, and interpreted to develop cultural sensitivity in localization. Here are some best practices to create and maintain cultural competence at every stage of the localization process.
Thorough cultural research
Researching and understanding the customs, language, and etiquette of the target culture enables you to carry out accurate localization. The easiest, practical step you can take is to immerse yourself in the target group’s social media and online communities to gain insights from discussions, forums, and interactions among native speakers or individuals from the target culture.
Collaborating with local experts and stakeholders
Working with native speakers, cultural consultants, and stakeholders helps better understand perspectives on the target culture. They can provide first-hand insights, answer questions, give guidance on particular issues, and even spot mishaps that others may fail to notice.
Testing and validating localized content with target audiences
It’s always a good idea to pilot localized content with a group of your target audience. Not only does their feedback help ensure cultural sensitivity and appropriateness but they can also tell if the content achieves its intended purpose and resonates with local culture.
Adapting visual elements, symbols, and colors appropriately
These elements denote different meanings and vary across countries. While you might commonly use a thumps-up emoji as a sign of approval, agreement, or positivity in many Western cultures, it carries pejorative meaning in many Middle Eastern countries.
Being open to feedback and making necessary adjustments
It is even more important to adjust accordingly once you get feedback. Remember that you shouldn’t turn a blind eye to concerns about cultural sensitivity because they may involve cultural misinterpretations and exclusion towards minority groups.
Working with professional localization experts
Localization requires expertise in the subject matter, original context, and target audience. Professional translators possess this understanding and can factor it in during the process. However, not all translators are equal, so you must choose the right expert to provide accurate and culturally sensitive translation and adaptation of content.
At CSOFT International, we recognize the importance of integrating cultural expertise into every step of the localization process. Our team of skilled linguists, cultural consultants, and localization specialists work collaboratively to ensure that content is not only translated but also culturally adapted to resonate with target audiences. By leveraging cutting-edge technology and fostering a culture of continuous learning, we empower our clients to navigate the complexities of global markets with confidence.
References: A Complete Guide to Culture Localization by Corinne Sharabi The Importance of Cultural Sensitivity in Localisation